Can't Receive Text/Calls, But Can Send Them [Resolved]

[ylh]

I've been with Public for years. Suddenly yesterday I didn't receive my 2FA text from Google. This morning I didn't receive my 2FA text from Microsoft. I asked several of my contacts to call and text me. None of their texts can be received. All calls go directly to voicemail. I can still call out and text out from my number. My Android phone hardware and software has not changed. My account is in good standing with Public. I'm seeing a lot of other threads about what I am experiencing so here's my hand up as well. Please fix this as soon as possible as I rely on 2FA text messages to access my accounts.

Edit: Thanks for the suggestions so far. Going to try some of them throughout the day. I've already started a ticket through the chat prompts.

Things I've tried:

- Restarting phone

- Manually switch to 3G network

- Force stop and clear cache of text messaging app (I use the Google one, not sure which other one to try as they all look sketchy.)

Things I can't try at the moment:

- Same phone, different SIM

- Same SIM, different phone

Things Customer Support tried:

- "Refreshed my provisioning"

Final update probably: Seven hours ago customer support said they "refreshed my provisioning" and "everything looks ok on my end". I restarted my device about two hours ago and it didn't look like it helped. After dinner, I was able to borrow a friend's phone and briefly plugged the SIM in and I got a flood of every single text that I wasn't getting for the last 24 hours or so. But it still didn't make sense that my phone was able to call/text out, but not receive anything. So I plugged the SIM back into my original device and now everything works again. I'm not sure if it was just the provisioning refresh taking a while, or if I had too many texts backed up and not received, or if somehow putting the SIM in a different device fixed it. But some combination of that worked and hopefully will for others in my situation.

Thank you to all the helpful suggestions and of course customer support!

[hioctane321]

Same issue just started happening to me, I tried all those solutions and nothing. But when I changed my APN from Public Mobile to Telus, everything started working again.

[darlicious]

@whyveeare 

Yes essentially.....the troubleshooting technique of removing the sim card (which also recommends checking for dirt or debris etc...) but its important that the sim remains out of the sim card slot or tray for at least 10 minutes. But better yet putting the sim card in another phone or slot in a dual sim phone means the sim card has to be reprovisioned to the new IMEI by pm's system and does so again when put back into the original SIM card slot.

[whyveeare]

Well, just heard back from my family member and it still works, even after moving the SIM back to the original slot.  So this seems to be the solution for this issue.  Move the SIM to another phone (or slot in a Dual SIM phone), then back again.

Still wondering why though.  Is there a common thread here (no pun intended 😁 )

My family member is on the $15 plan, if that makes any difference.  Maybe something to do with the difference between incoming and outgoing calls on the $15 plan.  But then again, she couldn't receive texts either, and both incoming and outgoing texts are unlimited on the $15 plan.

Anyone else out there with similar issues also on the $15 plan?

[whyveeare]

Just a quick update already.  My family member realized she had a Dual SIM phone, so she moved the SIM to the other slot and voila, it worked!  I'm now asking her to move it back to the original slot to see if it continues working.  I guess that would replicate what the OP did to get it working.  After all, to the SIM, the other slot on a Dual SIM phone is essentially another phone.

I'll report back on the result either way.

In any case, if just moving the SIM to another phone fixes the issue, what does that mean?  Does the PM system "re-provision" the SIM whenever it is detected in another device (ie., new IMEI)?

[whyveeare]

Putting up my hand now too.  I have the same issue on one of the accounts that I manage for a family member.  Can't receive calls or texts, but can call and text out.  Calls go straight to voicemail without ringing.  It seems to have been happening for about a week now.  She discovered 10 voicemails which she hadn't received notifications for.  All of them from work, meaning she lost several shifts.  Needless to say, she is not impressed.

She is trying to borrow another phone so she can try the trick the OP used to get their phone working.  Move the SIM to another phone, that back again.

In the meantime, I will send a PM to the CSA's on her behalf.

@J_PM I think you have been tagged earlier in this thread.  Any updates on PM's back end about this?  Seems to be a persistent issue with several people lately.  Would appreciate any info you could share at the moment.  Thanks in advance.

[BlueB]

@ylh 

Thanks for letting us know the fix and the things you tried.  You seem to be a very popular person with that flooding of texts you got!  🙂

[JK8]

@darlicious 

To me the title of this song describes Simple Simon:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbSJtfj3Jho

[softech]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

 @softech : We only have the one positive report of someone installing a different texting app.

---

.. but that was from before, right?  I meant not from last couple days.. i remember this from someone using a very small brand phone.. both calls and text failed until a different text app installed.

[Anonymous]

 @softech : We only have the one positive report of someone installing a different texting app.

[darlicious]

@softech 

I believe that's a yes and a yes.

[softech]

yes, another post just came about incoming text and calls issue.

I forgot.. did we get a confirmation from anyone confirming that CS Agent can resolve this quickly  once they got the ticket?    And so far, no one telling us reboot phone or so will resolve the issue themselves, right?

[darlicious]

@ylh 

Something changed a few days ago with several members reporting this issue some also with the calls going to voicemail as well. It could be a sim provisioning problem so ask the CSA  to both reprovision your SIM card and reset your account. You may also request that the CSA open a ticket with the tech team to look into the cause in case all of the recent cases are related to a problem within the back end system . If this is done make sure you get the ticket reference number so you can follow up the results a month from now to see if they found anything and report back so we can share any results or progress with others having the same issue.

@JK8 

You took the words right out of my mouth or quoted me....Simple--Simon sucks ! lol! As such I refuse to use him. I have posted my method for private message contact that is very effective if done correctly. The one advantage to sending a private message for a difficult technical problem or issue that is not cut and dried is unlike a ticketing system generated inquiry the system cannot close a private message automatically after 48 hours allowing for it to remain open for future inquiries without having to start over from the very beginning.

[BlueB]

@JK8 

I find it deceiving how it "simulates" that the chatbot is "typing" before it shows you the message.  JUST DISPLAY THE MESSAGE RIGHT AWAY... it wastes your time, unless their systems are that slow... 😖

[JK8]

@BlueB 

Yeah…it’s just a suggestion. Simple Simon sucks. Tried it multiple times and sometimes you go around in circles. Frustrates the hell out of me. 

[dabr]

---

@BlueB wrote:

Sidenote and unrelated...

The subject line that "Something Happened on August 24" sounds very ominous! 😅

---

@BlueB   Or, perhaps, the name of a movie?  😁

[BlueB]

Sidenote and unrelated...

The subject line that "Something Happened on August 24" sounds very ominous! 😅

[BlueB]

@softech 

The OP mentioned that other texts from friends/etc weren't received either.  It seems to be a wholesome problem, rather than isolated to 2FA/certain contacts.

[BlueB]

---

@JK8 wrote:

@ylh 

Second option below is easiest.

• Get help with your account the easy way by starting a conversation with our virtual assistant, SIMon. It’ll take you to relevant help articles, or if it’s something more urgent, it can help you submit a ticket to our Agents. Click here to get started.
• Alternatively, you can send a private message to our Agents by clicking here. You’ll need to be logged in to your Community account for the link to work.

---

I would argue that the first option may require an extra step but more effective.  By opening a ticket, they can log into their Phone Service account and attach their "authenticated" account to the ticket and the CS Agents can get to work right away.

The second option requires them to provide additional information, usually separately (unless you submit it at the same time) that would be slower and less secure, and easier than submitting additional information than logging into your account.

Both options work and end up with the same service/result.  I usually recommend the Ticket option for one-step authentication without sending additional information along the wire.  🙂

[softech]

Was it only 2FA type of text not coming through?  Regular text works without issue?  Also, incoming calls works?

[Anonymous]

 @ylh : Yes this does seem to be popping up a few times recently. One customer installed a different texting app and that seemed to work for them somehow or other.

Edit: I'd be interested to see your results of clearing the texting app cache and force closing it and see what happens. (assuming you're on Android)

[JK8]

@ylh 

Second option below is easiest.

• Get help with your account the easy way by starting a conversation with our virtual assistant, SIMon. It’ll take you to relevant help articles, or if it’s something more urgent, it can help you submit a ticket to our Agents. Click here to get started.
• Alternatively, you can send a private message to our Agents by clicking here. You’ll need to be logged in to your Community account for the link to work.

[BlueB · Accepted solution]

@ylh 

Yikes... have you tried restarting your phone?  Also, try turning airplane mode on, then off.  If you manually select the 3G network, does it help?  Are you able to try another SIM card in your phone, and yours in another phone?

Just FYI - we're users just like you, helping other users!  If it is indeed account/service related, you can reach a CS Agent (staff) at that point.